City Slang

SXSW '11+Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill 'Em All + Video

So, after three days of telling myself that I did NOT want to watch teenage hip-punk group Odd Future perform here at SXSW, I finally relented and watched them play a show. Goddamn if those kids aren't the livest group performing in Austin right now. And that says a lot considering how many red-hot bands are in this city right now playing showcases like it's their last day on earth.

In my experience, there's always a weird relationship between "hype" and "the truth" when it comes to music coverage. Lot's of bands are hyped about by blogs or media outlets that can't back it up at all. And even more bands aren't hyped in the slightest even though they kick-ass on stage all night long.

But there is a weird, rare, hard to find combination of hype and talent that cross-breeds every now and again, and when that happens, you get groups like Odd Future. They're the Wu-Tang Clan of today. The Kanye West of five years ago. The group that doesn't give a rats ass what anyone has to say and will antagonize photographers, bloggers, writers, establishment-types, homosexuals, and anyone else that isn't 19 and fearless. It's a (mostly) healthy thing to see in today's "don't rock the boat" mentality and even though I've only watched one show, I can say those dudes are for real. I do take issue with the way in which their arrogance dominates everything they do. Group leader Tyler was very quick to say "I don't want to sound like a dick, but this is your show, so get the FUCK off the stage if you're not in Odd Future." And he's saying this to all of the people who want to videotape/photograph the show. And the dickriders as well. I don't blame him. But if you're kicking a veteran photographer from Rolling Stone off stage just because you can, you're a dick. No need to pretend otherwise.

Show highlights included watching Tyler diving off of a 20 foot high speaker and Hodgie jumping off of the fucking roof into a crowd of people. For the record neither one of them ever touched the floor. The crowd (cult?) of folks in the audience absorbed their blows with ease and carried them as if it was expected. Whatever Charlie Sheen is on right now, it's bullshit compared to what Odd Future is freebasing every few seconds.

UPDATE: Detroit bad-ass and self-professed Odd Future junkie DJ Skeez was standing next to me at the show and captured video of them jumping off of as many tall surfaces as possible.

If you've never heard of the L.A. rap brats before, watch the video below of their performance on the Jimmy Fallon show a month ago.